The Specialty License Plate Program
In Tennessee when you purchase certain specialty license plates, a portion of the proceeds supports the arts. The Specialty License Plate Program was created in the 1980’s to provide a dedicated revenue source for arts and cultural activities in the state.

The Tennessee Arts Commission now has four license plates of its own with the addition of the new Arts plate (top left), and 90% of the $35 directly funds the arts in communities across the state.

Specialty License Plate funding provides local arts programming for children and communities distributed through the Tennessee Arts Commission, a state agency. In FY14, over 5.3 million dollars was invested in nonprofit organizations, K-12 public schools and artists across the state. Of that $5.3 million, $4.5 million was generated through the sale of specialty license plates. In a time when arts funding is shrinking, there has never been a better opportunity for art supporters to back the arts with a specialty license plate.